Friday, December 10, 2010

Gameday: Rebels @ Knights

A stretch of 3 games in 2 and a half days begins tonight in Armstrong as the Rebels and North Okanagan Knights meet for the only time this season. Castlegar (22-5-0-0) remains in a dead heat with Beaver Valley for top spot in the Neil Murdoch division, although tonight's game will be one of the 6 the Rebels have in hand over the Nitehawks.

After a slow start Tuesday against Grand Forks, the weekend is a chance for the team to get to work away from home. Erik Wentzel was outstanding against the Bruins on a de-facto fourth line with AP Darren Medeiros and Curtis Pereverzoff. It's also an opportunity for the newer members of the team to spend a lot of quality time with their mates on the bus, which can never hurt in terms of team-building.

Coach's Thoughts: I caught up with head coach Steve Junker before the team left for the Okanagan, hear his take on this weekend's games here.

Our Opponent: North Okanagan (13-18-0-0) have come back to earth, so to speak, after a roaring start to the season. 17 year-old Shawn Holliday leads the Knights' offensive attack with 30 points, while 19 year-old Colin Minardi is the team leader in goals with 11. Former Rebel Corey Bulach has found a home in Armstrong after starting the season in Kelowna. He has 11 points (2-9) in 22 games as a Knight this season. The goaltending tandem of Chris Solecki and Chris Hurry have virtually split duties this season, appearing in 19 and 15 games respectively.

In the Press Box: Darren Tarasoff will sit out the third and final game of his suspension tonight. Tyler Jones, Cole Buckley and Josh McGladery should all dress after sitting out Tuesday.Broadcast Info: The Knights webcast crew will have the call beginning at 7:00 PM.

Out of Town: Two other Neil Murdoch teams are on the road tonight. Nelson visits the Kimberley Dynamiters, while Spokane is in Fernie. The Braves' Van Stefanou and Nick Farmer are both suspended for tonight's game, as are Fernie's Zach Baba and Johnny Park.